Punk band Priests released a new music video earlier this month for their song “Pink White House” off their upcoming record. It’s a romp through DIY scenes and scenarios, from camera repair, to supermarket shopping, to an aerobics tape, all culminating in murder, muggings, and a dinner party food fight. The track is best described as noisy and fun, matching the eclectic nature of the video, which was directed and edited by Priests member Katie Alice Greer.
Formed in Washington DC in 2012, Priests created their own record label, Sister Polygon, to release their music. Their first three releases came from Sister Polygon Records, their fourth through Don Giovanni Records, and their fifth (upcoming) will return to Sister Polygon. The label is run out of two members of Priests’s apartments and houses, and seeks to give smaller or “weirder” acts a platform from which to release music. It has since released multiple artists and currently boasts a full roster of bands. Priests’s next release, Nothing Feels Natural, through Sister Polygon will be on January 27th, 2017.
This video pick comes at you from Swedish DJ and music producer Christian, known here as Chris Tall. This project is a disco-infused take on modern pop music. We’ve selected the track “Roller Skater” as our video pick. The track already has 150,000 plays on Spotify!
Angel Olsen is not who you think she is. In her latest album My Woman, she exhilarated and totally shook off the harsh label of her “country-folk sad-sack lost in a forest,” incorporating punchier pop tunes.
Fearless and gritty, the folk rock star is sassily flirty roller-skating in her lime green jacket and silver glitter wig. Opening with the line “I ain’t hanging up this time / I ain’t giving up this time,” she swoons us with the raw affectionate punch of her determination. She sways around in a bar, glides around a roller skating rink, working the food counter -- all she wants is your undivided attention, so she can “end all this pain right here” right now.
Olsen was born and raised in Saint Louis, adopted as the youngest of eight kids. Her fantasy about her parents growing up in the ’30s and ’50s reflects in the video that echo American glamour and rock and roll in the 50s: the bad girls of rock reminding you about the obsolete gender roles of “Woman.”
With America’s divided views now, perhaps a taste of Olsen’s raw touch on female’s charms will get you back on track.
This video pick is off The Orwells’s upcoming album Terrible Human Beings: “They Put a Body in the Bayou.” It is their second single off the album so far, and their third official studio album. “They Put a Body in the Bayou” is a video that may appeal to those keeping in touch with the current political climate. It deals with the realities of modern politics and even the hypocrisy of it. Lead singer Mario Cuomo takes the place of the loud, angry politician, getting the supporters literally frothing at the mouth.
Hailing from Elmhurst, Illinois, The Orwells are cousins Mario Cuomo and Dominic Corso, twin brothers Grant and Henry Brinner, and Matt O’Keefe. Friends for years, the band formed in 2009 and was signed to Autumn Tone records. They have since toured with Arctic Monkeys, performed on Late Show with David Letterman, have had their song “Who Needs You” featured in a commercial for Apple and on the popular video game “Grand Theft Auto,” and other notable features and performances since their early graduation from high school in 2013. Their upcoming album will be released on February 17th, 2017 by Atlantic Records.
The Orwells are currently on tour on the West coast this month, with dates culminating the month in the UK.
"Dream Theater's marathon set at The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts was truly one for the ages and probably the best live show I have seen all year (out of hundreds that I have attended in 2016). Wednesday’s "Astonishing" performance left no doubt as to why Dream Theater is considered one of the most talented and creative group of musicians on the planet today. "
If you are a fan of Dream Theater, it comes as no surprise that they are still on top of their game. For others who may just getting to know them, there is so much more to learn about a band who has touched so many and given so much over an incredible 30-year career. From their early days when they were known simply as Majesty to present day, Dream Theater has continued to create a distinctive brand of progressive rock that engages the mind and inspires their followers all around the world. Consummate story tellers, Dream Theater has a unique way of enlightening their audience through their incredible passion for music – an art that is very rare (and underappreciated) in this day and age. On November 9th, Dream Theater had the pleasure of bringing their latest story, The Astonishing, to life for a beloved group of fans at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, TX.
For those that have not attended a concert at the Tobin Center, it’s important to understand why performances at the HEB Performance Hall are different than your typical everyday concert venue. As Aaron Zimmerman, VP of Programming and Marketing notes, “Where other venues were designed simply with capacity in mind, the H-E-B Performance Hall was designed so the acoustics could adjustable to suit the specific needs of each performance type, consistently producing an enveloping acoustical experience. The accommodating and modest seating capacity of 1,738 (or 2,100 with flat floor) supports intimacy between stage and audience, allowing the sights and sounds of every show to resonate with clarity.” Taking this into consideration, there may not be a better theater in the United States for Dream Theater to perform The Astonishing in its entirety than in this world class venue on the banks of the historic San Antonio River.
Prior to the show getting underway, Dream Theater always takes some time to meet their most loyal fans in a special VIP Meet and Greet. What was different about this session (vs. other commercial VIP events) was that the band actually took time to interact with each of their fans personally. Fans of all ages and walks of life had a chance to interact with Dream Theater up close and personal. Some got autographs from their favorite band members, others had their unique Dream Theater memorabilia signed (one fan bringing in an Ernie Ball MUSIC MAN JP6), and most took advantage of the cool photo-op with the band. Fans were never rushed, and the band seemed truly humbled by the outpouring of love and support received throughout the event. I’ve been to several Dream Theater M&G sessions over the years, and each one has been unique based upon venue location and fan base. For die-hard Dream Theater fans, this is a “bucket list” type of an event that should not be missed under any circumstances.
For those who are unfamiliar with Dream Theater’s 13th studio release, The Astonishing, it’s an epic concept album that takes listeners on a futuristic journey to the year 2285. Real music as one knows it ceases to exist and is instead replaced with artificial noise created by machines called NOMAC’s. Struggling against the tyranny of The Great Northern Empire of the Americas, the Ravenskill Rebel Militia work tirelessly to resist the oppression using the magical power of music in hopes of turning back the clock to a time where music is ultimately appreciated again. The 34-track double CD is one of Dream Theater’s most ambitious releases to date, but fails to disappoint even the most discerning Dream Theater fan. The storyline is captivating, the characters are relatable, and the music is by far some of the most imaginative Dream Theater has ever released. Those in attendance at Wednesday night’s show were in for a night of unbelievable music they would not soon forget.
As the lights finally dimmed in the HEB Performance Hall, the near-capacity crowd rose to their feet and greeted Dream Theater to the Tobin stage with a raucous standing ovation. Giant floor to ceiling LED screens captivated all in attendance as the NOMAC’s descended from the heavens as “Dystopian Overture” kicked the night into immediate hyperdrive. As the instrumental winded down, front man James Labrie entered stage left and immediately launched into one of The Astonishing’s most incredible tracks, “The Gift of Music”. From that point on, it was no holds barred as the virtuosi of Dream Theater amazed and delighted their legions of fans with some of the most technically proficient music I have ever seen performed in a live setting. Bassist John Myung and Drummer Mike Mangini played out of their minds the entire evening, while keyboardist Jordan Rudess did things with his keyboard that should not be humanly possible. James LaBrie’s vocals were spot on the entire evening, nailing The Astonishing’s multiple characters flawlessly as the storyline progressed throughout the show. And then there was guitarist John Petrucci. He never fails to amaze on his 7-string with lightning fast riffs that seem to come as effortlessly as the sun rises and sets. Petrucci’ s performance Wednesday night was breathtaking, and there is no doubt that he is one of (if not the) most talented guitarists on the planet today.
After Dream Theater nailed The Astonishing’s 2-Act set, they returned to the stage for a “surprise” encore of greatest hits that until recently was not part of the show. Tobin Center guests were treated to three additional songs including “As I Am”, “The Spirit Carries On”, and crowd favorite “Pull Me Under”. As most in the audience were totally caught off guard by the encore, it took the energy in the room to a whole new level for the remainder of an already mind-blowing show. The audience seemed to be electrified as each song progressed, with everyone in the HEB Performance Hall out of their seats and singing along to classic Dream Theater. For those in attendance, the encore was a perfect way to cap off an amazing evening of live music and brought even bigger smiles to all the die-hard fans in attendance.
After the show, many enthusiastic followers (who have seen Dream Theater on multiple stops this tour) noted that their performance at The Tobin was one of the best they had seen all year. Some believed this was due in part to experiences gained on the first leg of the tour, while others believed that the intimate setting of the HEB Performance Hall allowed Dream Theater to bring The Astonishing to life in a way that could not have been done within a normal concert setting. Regardless of the reason, their marathon set was truly one for the ages and probably the best live show I have seen all year (out of hundreds that I have attended in 2016). Wednesday’s "Astonishing" performance left no doubt as to why Dream Theater is considered to be one of the most talented and creative group of musicians on the planet today.
Dream Theater continues their 2016 trek across America supporting The Astonishing. Tickets and VIP Packages for the remainder of their North American tour dates (as well as their upcoming European Tour Dates) can be purchased HERE.
Until next time,
Stay Frosty and Rock On!
STRFKR has been one of my favorite bands since tenth-grade-me would list them alongside MGMT, Vampire Weekend, Passion Pit, and Phoenix as my top 5. As cringe worthy as my music taste at the time was, STRFKR is one of those bands that has stuck around in my “recently played” playlist ever since. Though slightly cheesy with their synth-pop dance beats, the band is one which is self-aware and carries with them lyrical depth and technical skill. To say the least, I was excited to see them live and was more than ready to dance the whole way through.
Not surprisingly, (after all, Pitchfork has described their stage presence as straight-up electric) the band lived up to my expectations. The show started in a playful manner, as ten people in full astronaut suits stood against the backline and stared blankly at the audience. A few minutes later, the band entered, one at a time, all dressed in full black mechanic-like jumpsuits except Joshua Hodges, who was dressed in a blonde wig, fishnets, and a sequined tight blue dress. The astronauts then broke their stoic poses, jumping and dancing through the rest of the first few songs and firing off confetti cannons as they went. After that, we all knew this show was going to be a party from beginning to end.
The only time the show stopped was so a dressed-in-drag Hodges could make a statement on the political climate, avoiding the election itself to say they would do anything in their power to make the show a safe space. The crowd surged with cheers, yelling back at Hodges about their love and appreciation. After that, everyone in the crowd treated each other as a friend, not only dancing with those they came with but the strangers around them as well. Security guards were taking videos and pictures for fans from behind the barricades, and threatening to stage dive. It was a party all around. The band members stayed mostly stoic, rocking side to side and switching instruments with each other every so often.
The show ended with the return of our beloved astronauts, shaking their butts and waving at members of the audience with no shame. Multiple of them crowd-surfed, the last of which did so upon a giant blow-up flamingo. Hodges or Glassford would occasionally crack a smile, but all four members still kept their casual, “I know I’m a rock star but I don’t care” demeanor. They’re quirky, for sure, and yet non-stop fun. Their show is inoffensive, theatrical and enjoyable the whole way through. Focusing on their best-known material, even the passive fan would be entertained. Overall, their show represented what a feel-good, alt-pop show should be.
Photo Credit: Andy De Santis
Hunnypot Live! has always been a safe space for the eclectic music music lover and this past show provided sanctuary from the left and right punches of real life.
Hot Tub Johnnie proceeded in to the night with burst bombs of musical revolutions in the air. Michelle Johnson took brought us an emotional musical response to how she's feeling these days, Katie Burden marched us through her indie/psychedelic rock pummeling, Alice Underground brought independent spirit with a ragtime rock & dance extravaganza, LIINKS was the progressive bringing future urban sounds, Daddy Issues "distorted" the truth and it sounded great and Conn Raney gave us hope for the future with his positive song messages. 11-14-16
-J. Gray
Michelle Johnson was born and raised in Southeast Texas. Descendent of farmers, she was the black sheep of the family and moved to New York City in 1987. She has a strong background as a musician and performed in various alt-country bands throughout the ‘90s; touring the vast NYC circuit as a guitarist and a vocalist.
In the late 90’s she started DJ-ing. She describes her set as “very eclectic” – ranging in genres from World, Dance, and Classic Disco to Indie Rock and Pop. Custom tailoring each set while she effectively reads the room. Her DJ performances include spinning at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for three years and Google events at their Venice location, as well as being hired for a range of industry parties, magazine launches, and private events.
Since she was a kid, the most important thing to her has been music, film, and television. Michelle started music supervising independent films after moving to Los Angeles in 2004. She worked on several features including The Custom Mary, Five Star Day, For The Love of Dolly, and Hooters! After being recommended to Thomas by a mutual friend, and realizing they coincidentally lived three houses apart, Michelle went on to join the SMV team. Coming in during Season 4 of AMC’s critically acclaimed Breaking Bad, Season 2 of the crazy popular AMC television adaptation of The Walking Dead, and the eccentric documentary Felix Austria!, Michelle added her creative insight to expand the team into new and exciting ways. She was also heavily involved in season one and two of AMC’s The Killing, the pilot of Good Christian Bitches on ABC, and all of SMV’s projects moving forward.
Michelle is a LGBT activist and is regularly involved in event planning and community programs. She also created a pseudo documentary in 2007 called Triple X Selects: The Best of Lezsploitation that hit the festival circuit and won several audience awards all around the world.
The dark and moody undercurrents of the new material called for Burden to dig deeper into her emotional well, something that she struggled with when performing the songs. “I have a hard time feeling emotions sometimes” the songwriter notes. “Art makes me less afraid to feel and also less alone.”
Facebook Instagram Bandcamp Twitter Spotify
Alice Underground is a time traveling caravan to an anachronistic era set in a locale that’s both familiar and fantastical. For the five members of the LA-based group, however, this has been a journey by happenstance. What was a one-off show now has the quintet chasing mythical characters and architecting a swamp cabaret aesthetic.
Five years after its fateful first show, the LA-based quintet now issues a stunning debut, Cambria Sessions. An album bathed in the blue hues of broken dreams, noir romance, and Golden Age Of Hollywood opulence.
Alice Underground whisks listeners and concertgoers away to an elegant underbelly teeming with deviant jazz, punk rock vigor, vaudevillian theatrics, and sensual emotionality. The group’s oeuvre varies between originals that feel like they were plucked from an American Songbook from a Tim Burton-themed time capsule, and jazz standards reimagined to showcase Alice Underground’s gift for conjuring longing and lasciviousness. The group counts as influences David Bowie, Ella Fitzgerald, Trent Reznor, and Billie Holiday. Fittingly, Alice Underground has been described as “gypsy jazz with a proto-punk edge.”
The quintet’s dark seductiveness, gothic glamour, and mythological imagery of the character Alice as a conceptual muse have endeared it to fanatics of steampunk, fantasy, and cosplay. Live highlights for the band include appearing at Los Angeles County Museum Of Art’s New Year’s event Golden Stag, hosted at the famous Los Angeles Park Plaza Hotel, and performing at the closing ceremonies for the Anime Expo in Los Angeles. There the group played originals, and backed cult artist Yoko Takahashi, singer of the theme song for the popular animated Japanese television series Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Alice Underground is Tash Cox vocals, bass, piano; Sasha Travis, vocals; Scott Landes, guitar, piano; Gordon Bash, standup bass, piano, guitar, vocals; and Steve Kefalas, drums, percussion. The band members boast eclectic and impressive resumes. Lead vocalist Tash Cox formerly sang with The Beta Machine, which included members of A Perfect Circle and Eagles of Death Metal. Tash has also sung in many operas, Neely Bruce’s, “Circular 14: The Apotheosis of Aristides” being her favorite. Scott Landes has played with Collide, Android Lust, I, Parasite, and ¡BASH!, among others. Steve Kefalas has also been a member of Android Lust, I, Parasite, and ¡BASH!. Gordon Bash is an active jazz and rock musician, that has appeared on America’s Got Talent playing with William Close. He heads up the punk/rockabilly band ¡BASH!, and is also the bassist for the popular ska band Save Ferris. Sasha Travis is a singer, producer, director, and all-around artist. She has directed and produced for the Labyrinth Masquerade Ball, and Golden Stag events, written and directed for the Astra Dance Theater, and been a long time co-collaborator at Sypher Arts Studio.
Website Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Spotify SoundCloud
The first song LIINKS ever wrote (prior to actually calling themselves LIINKS) was stolen from them and became a #1 radio hit in South Korea. The duo had decided to post one of their first demos, a song called We’ll Never Know (later re named Swing) to an online streaming service. A few months later they received an email from a Korean law firm letting them know their song had been stolen by a big name Korean producer, was released by mega K Pop star Hyori Li and had reached #1 on their Top 40 radio stations across the county. The duo settled out of court and the Korean producer ended up in jail. What seemed at the time to be really upsetting is actually what inspired the duo to create their partnership and eventually become LIINKS.
LIINKS is a Canadian born collaboration between singer/songwriter Georgia and producer DWhiz. Georgia's haunting vocals project a delicate image of soul music smattered with the eerie sensibility of classic trip-hop. Backed by cinematic beat-scapes created by DWhiz, the LIINKS sound is electronic pop with an organic quality. The independent duo launched on April 1st, 2014 with their first single The Break. A radio programmer in Victoria, BC played The Break on 107.3 Kool Fm and by April 8th The Break was the most added track to Canadian radio and went on to peak at #35 on CHR Billboard and #18 on the Emerging Artist Billboard charts in Canada. The success of The Break grabbed the attention of legendary producer Bob Ezrin who helped the duo land a publishing deal with Universal in Los Angeles where LIINKS currently resides.
Recently LIINKS was featured on several high profile electronic viral hits with artists Datsik, Mord Fustang and Ephwurd which combined have had over 3 million plays online. Their most recent collaboration was with Datsik and Blink 182’s Travis Barker on the song Dark Star which LIINKS co wrote and features Georgia on vocals. LIINKS is currently writing and recording in LA and working on their debut EP set for release in late 2016.
Facebook Instagram Soundcloud Spotify Website
Often hailed as “the B-52’s on steroids,” Daddy Issues is a high-energy band from Southern California that entertains audiences with fun, sexy shows and loud guitars to match. The band is the brainchild of singer/songwriter, Angela Alvarez, and bassist, Julia “Jules” Whelpton, and is known for its catchy tunes and on-stage antics. From fall 2013 to present day, Daddy Issues has played sold out shows in Southern California, Arizona, and Las Vegas at legendary venues such as House of Blues, Belly Up Tavern, the Casbah, and Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles.
The band began in San Diego when lead singer, Angela was in search of an original rock band after moving from Scottsdale, AZ. Using Craigslist, she found a band called The Justice Fire, where Jules played bass. Within a couple of months, the pair decided to split off and create a high-energy rock band that mashed other forms of popular music together. They tested the name Daddy Issues at a local acoustic show in November 2013 to positive reception, and then decided to pursue the full-band setting.
Their career was further boosted by local radio play, eventually the band got the attention of local rock legend, Roni Lee. Lee recently signed Daddy Issues to her label, Play Like a Girl Records.
Taking cues from No Doubt, Green Day, Arctic Monkeys and The Foo Fighters, the band's music is a blend of 90’s and modern tropes.
The songs contain catchy riffs and singalong choruses, an incorporate various musical styles such as reggae, punk and latin. Their wide variety of influences include The Beatles, Aerosmith, Queens of the Stone Age and Halestorm to name a few. Recording with Jim Wirt of Crushtone Records in Cleveland, OH, Daddy Issues released its first full-length album, Handle It, in September of 2016.
Website Facebook Twitter Soundcloud
Conn Raney is a recording artist born in Modesto, California. When Conn was in the 2nd grade his family moved from Modesto, California to Portland Oregon, so that Connor's dad could attend Multnomah Bible College. It was also in Portland, Oregon that Connor heard his first Rap song - 'Gangsta's Paradise' by legendary rapper Coolio. Once hearing this song, it completely changed his perspective on music and life. He eventually began writing and performing songs at his school! However, those close to Conn never viewed music as a legitimate career choice. Instead, he was always pushed to play sports and go to college, but never to continue creating music and pursue a career.
He earned the title of NCAA All American Kicker for Division 3 after his senior year at California Lutheran University and found himself trying out for professional teams ranging from Arena Football to the NFL - all the while creating music purely out of passion. During this time, some soul searching happened and Conn made some interesting and controversial decisions. He was offered a contract to play football for the San Jose Sabercats of Arena Football...and guess what...he turned it down. He had made the decision that he was not going to let anyone else's opinion of his career path influence him any longer. His focus was now on building a career in music. Since then he has been fortunate enough to write and produce theme songs for several high school football teams and one professional soccer team (Chivas USA) – all of which was achieved while maintaining a full time job working with kids and families in need. Having grown up struggling financially and being raised with a strong moral background he has always had a passion for helping those less fortunate and he plans on continuing doing so through his music. Stay in touch with Conn and join him on his journey to leave a mark on the world!
Still feeling the post-election malaise? Watch this music video by Tech N9ne, released last month. “Erbody But Me” features Bizzy and labelmate Krizz Kaliko, and is the first single from Tech N9ne’s upcoming album, The Storm. Tech says the song is “very narcissistic,” which is plain to hear in the catchy hook. The song is an unapologetic celebration of himself, and the hook can be applied to anyone anywhere who needs a little boost to their self-confidence. Because, why not? The video itself takes place in a skating rink filled with individuals hanging out, skating, and partying. The infectious atmosphere mirrors the track, encouraging a positive vibe, despite the narcissism. There seems to be a lot of it going on lately, but at least this track is can help you greet the day with a positive, even excited, outlook.
This next video pick is Auditorium’s “Mt. Moriah.” Directed by Ben Barnes, this black and white video follows two children trick or treating. The young girl, receiving no answer from the doorbell and seeing a light from a window, curiously stumbles upon a scene she does not understand. The framing of this scene, cut together with clips of the children in the car, demonstrates her innocence though she knows she should not have seen what she did.
Ex-opera singer Spencer Berger is Auditorium, a unique project of genre-bending indie-folk-pop deliciousness blended up together with his impeccable voice. Berger sings all the vocal parts and plays all instruments on his songs. “Mt. Moriah” is a track from his upcoming album, The First Music. This album is the followup to full length Be Brave in 2011 and Nights Worth Living EP in 2012. Though he’s been somewhat quiet in the past few years, Berger has been prolific with song ideas, which he revealed to have been narrowed down to 15 tracks for the new album.
Move to Mars, shall we?
BBC Radio has described "Life on Mars?" as having "one of the strangest lyrics ever" consisting of a "slew of surreal images" like a Salvador Dalí painting when the song first came out. “It's the freakiest show… He's in the best selling show.... Is there life on Mars?” Who knew the lyrics would be so relevant now?
Most of the Americans we know have had thoughts like “shall we move to somewhere else?” striked in their minds over the past day, this past week, or the past month.
"If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can make the world safe for diversity" - John F. Kennedy
“It's on America's tortured brow.” Let’s stay together America. Or move to Mars. Perhaps we will find Bowie there too.